Everything Elvis: The Art (and Obsessions!) of Joni Mabe

For over 40 years, artist Joni Mabe has channeled her Georgia roots into work that explores pop culture, Southern ephemera, and Elvis.

2027 marks the 50th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. While there may be a bigger fangirl than Joni Mabe somewhere on planet Earth, there is no one else who has…

• collected over 30,000 items related to him, including her own original artwork, that she now displays in the “Everything Elvis” Museum (and pilgrimage site!) inside her greatgrandparent’s 1908 boarding house in Cornelia, Ga. (90 minutes from Atlanta); 

• toured the U.S. with her collection in the 1990s as “The Elvis Babe” and featured on MTV, Howard Stern, and The Tonight Show; 

• organized 20 annual Elvis tribute artist (aka impersonator) competitions; and

• owns a much-publicized wart that was removed from Presley’s hand in 1957.

But there’s a lot more to Joni than meets the wart.

In 2024, she was one of four finalists for the prestigious Hudgens Art Prize ($50,000) with her sculptural installations using found objects. 

Her handmade books and glitter portraits, ranging from Loretta Lynn to James Brown to Ty Cobb, often employ appropriated images, glitter, and sequins to create mosaics reminiscent of religious icons. Her work can be found in private collections and museums.

She came of age in Athens, Ga., at the height of its music scene (1980s-‘90s) — B-52’s, R.E.M., and Pylon, with the latter featured heavily on the soundtrack. 

Her main creative influences? Andy Warhol and P.T. Barnum. Beneath that southern drawl and Elvis-themed attire, she’s as southern as Waffle House.

Using generous heapings of archival footage, this 57-minute joyride of an indie documentary shows the creative journey of an unconventional artist whose work is rooted in a southern perspective that is utterly unafraid and deeply personal.

UPCOMING SCREENINGS

Oct. 11, 2026, 3 p.m. | Tara Theater Private Preview Screening | Atlanta, Ga.

Nov. 3, 2026, 5:30 p.m. | Bo Bartlett Center | Columbus, Ga.

Nov. 21, 2026, 7 p.m. | Gallery of Art | Panama City, Fla.

March 25, 2027, 6 p.m. | UGA Special Collections | Athens, Ga.

LINKS

about the film (blog post)

Joni Mabe Homepage

Joni on Wikipedia